2015 has been a very long and painful year for Philly sports. 2015 was one of the worst years in the history of philly professional sports. The Phillies lost 99 games, the Sixers are still tanking, the Eagles are currently 6-8, and the Flyers are hovering around .500. Needless to say, there hasn’t been many happy times in the Philly sports world this year. Let’s reflect on the positive moments of 2015 in the Philly sports world.
5. The Sixers Select Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA Draft
The 76ers drafted Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA Draft. Many fans wanted them to take D’Angelo Russell, but he was already off the board when the Sixers pick rolled around. Okafor has been very good so far in his rookie campaign. With the dynamic duo of Okafor and Nerlens Noel, the Sixers could have a dominant frontcourt for years to come.
4. The Flyers Held a Ceremony Inducting Rod Brind’Amour into their Hall of Fame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs0CuBIZkJo
The Flyers held a ceremony to induct Rod Brind’Amour into their Hall of Fame when the Canes last visited the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. Brindy’s speech was extremely good. My favorite quote from his long speech was when he said, “Flyers fans never forget.” He was right. We never forgot his work ethic and humble charm. He was one of the most beloved Flyers of all time, and he really deserves that spot in the Flyers Hall of Fame.
3. UPenn Upsets Villanova in Football
UPenn took on Villanova in an FCS football matchup. The Quakers shocked the city of Philadelphia and Villanova by upsetting the 4th ranked Wildcats 24-13. This game was predicted to be a dominant win by Villanova, like this rivalry usually results in. This win was Penn’s first over Villanova since 1911, which is a remarkable amount of time to never beat a team in your own city. Like we said before, not even the Pope could’ve saved Villanova’s football team that night in Philly.
2. College Gameday Comes to Philly
College Gameday came to Philly to see the Temple Owls face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earlier this season. The Owls narrowly loss to Notre Dame, proving to the whole country that they were a legit football team. There was a palpable buzz surrounding the Temple football team all week leading up to the game. We haven’t seen that buzz come from college football in Philly in quite a long time. As a college football fan, it was great to see the city put the Temple football program back in the drivers seat.
1. Cole Hamels No Hitter
http://gty.im/481983732
It was Cole Hamels last start as a Phillie, and it was his 1st career no-no. Surrounding trade rumors that were impossible to ignore, Hamels went out to the mound against the Cubs for what turned out to be his last game in a Phillies uniform. He pitched the game of his life, which helped the Phillies get even more when they dealt him to the Texas Rangers for several high-profile prospects. It was a fitting end to Hamels tenure in Philly.
2015 had a lot in store for all the sports teams in the city of Philadelphia. Most of the memories from this past year were negative, but not all were. I hope you enjoyed my top 5 Philly sports moments of 2015.
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